Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 3/3/16 “Study to show thyself approved!”

How can we teach what we don’t understand ourselves? Yes, we can go to a place of worship on Sunday, attend bible study, quote a few scriptures and pray out loud but do we clearly understand God’s word for ourselves? Or are we doing what’s familiar? I’m back in school, a theological school, and it’s sad to me that some of the adults in my class didn’t even know John 3:16 (For God so loved the world…). It’s sad that these are adults (young and older) who have never taken the time to get to know the one scripture that sums up the entire book of John, for themselves. Oh but we are quick to say we are children of the King. But are we? How can we be followers of God and not imitate Him? Haven’t you noticed that if a child watches you long enough, they’ll eventually pick up on some of the things you do and say? Well, why aren’t we doing and saying some stuff like the God we supposedly follow? If we’ve been followers of Christ, we ought to be like Him in some way, by now, shouldn’t we? I’d answer yes. However, the only way we can imitate God’s ways is by learning what His ways are and then what He requires of us. We do this by studying His word, in the instruction manual He’s left behind.

Don’t we read the instructions when trying to assemble stuff? Then why aren’t we reading the instructions of God when we claim to be assembling workers for His kingdom? No, we don’t have to know the bible front and back but how can we tell if the pastor, who’s serving us, is serving us the right fruit? A pastor or minister’s role is to teach and it’s our responsibility to get understanding. Oh but how can we get understanding on something we know nothing about? It doesn’t matter if we sit on the same pew Sunday after Sunday if we aren’t learning something that can be used to save those who are unsaved. And believe it or not if an unsaved person were to challenge a lot of the saved who are leaving church, some of us would fail. Why? Because we couldn’t even tell them what the pastor preached on. We can give you the fancy title but that’s it. And it’s a shame that a lot of us ‘church’ folk is going to straight to hell and it’s not because we are hellish people but it’s because we’ve allowed the glitz and glamour of being churched to overshadow being taught. We’ll take the whooping but not the word. We’d rather get ‘slayed in the spirit’ and not saved. I don’t know about you but the last thing I want is to be turned away from the gates of Heaven because I’ve not studied to show myself approved.

The bible says in 2 Timothy 2:15-16, “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior.”

Daily Devotional – 3/2/16 “Born with a purpose!”

You were born with a purpose, don’t die with regret! What kind? Regret of not walking in your true calling, regret of not stepping out on faith, regret of not taking a chance or regret of allowing your life to be in vain. The last thing you should want is for your purpose to be buried with you. Live a life that’s pleasing and then live a life than will leave a legacy behind. Beloved, folk shouldn’t have to read your tombstone to know you were an aspiring minister, singer, writer, nurse, doctor, lawyer, business owner or etc. Let it be revealing by the life you live. I don’t want someone standing up at my home going celebration saying, “She wanted to be a …,” no ma’am, no sir; I want you standing up reading my accolades of the things I’ve accomplished because then I would have left a legacy. Once we’re dead, what else can we do? This is why we have to live. This is why we have to live happily. This is why we have to live happily every day. Why? The bible says in Ephesians 1:11, “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”

Oh but then it doesn’t end there because Romans 8:30 says, “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” So tell me again, why aren’t you walking in your purpose? Yes, God yes, it gets hard; you get knocked down more times than you want, you get talked about more times than not, you may get lied on and persecuted for believing in the God of multiple chances, you may even get to a point of feeling defeated yet even through all this, your purpose doesn’t change nor is it forfeited. And walking in your purpose pays off. Yea, it does. Walking in your purpose prepares you to reap the benefits of the harvest you sow. It may be sown in tears, bruises, sickness, hurt, rejection, repossessions, foreclosures, bankruptcies, divorce, death of some loved one, layoffs and burdens yet it’ll pay off. You may not see it now but you don’t see the benefits of a planted seed until it starts peeking through the dirt of blooming. Baby, don’t count out what you’ve sown. Yea, it may look dead but some flowers die in the winter only to spring forth in the spring. Wait your turn. But in your waiting, don’t allow your purpose to die for it was given to you for a purpose!

Ms. Nice Nasty: Cam’s Confession – Reviews Needed

Happy Reading to each of you …

I don’t know if I’ve shared this with you or not but Amazon removed Ms. Nice Nasty: Cam’s Confession so I had to repost it as a brand new book. Due to this, I lost the reviews I did have.

Don’t fret because it has been reposted and is still FREE on Amazon.

Now, here’s where you come in. I need each of you to download and review Ms. Nice Nasty: Cam’s Confession. (PLEASE) It is FREE! Click HERE to download your copy.

For those who reviewed it before, I apologize for asking again but I really hope you will take a minute and leave a review.

Please! Please!

Download and review!

Thanks in advance.
–Happy Reading!
Lakisha

Daily Devotional – 3/1/16 “Sometimes you need to let go!”

When a baby begins to pull up on tables and things, in an attempt to walk, there’s usually someone behind them ready to catch them when their legs wobble or if they just happen to stumble. Why? Well because you, as someone older, recognize that their legs and arms aren’t strong enough, yet, to hold them so you brace for the impact of them falling or letting go. I mean, you wouldn’t tell the baby, you’re on your own now, would you? Well beloved, I stopped by today; just for a minute to let you know that God is behind you and He’s braced Himself for the impact of you falling or letting go. Yes, He recognizes the fact that you may be in over your head, you’re tired, you’re weak or that you’re at your wit’s end and He’s prepared to catch you. See, I’ve come to know that God will pick up where we fall short if we trust in Him enough to let Him. I know, for a fact, that God will catch us if we fall because I’ve tried Him and He did. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that God will be there when we let go because I have and He was. I’m a living witness that God is there. All you have to do is trust in Him to catch you. I don’t know what you’re dealing with, what you’re in, what you’re trying to get out of, what sickness is attacking you, what fear that has you paralyzed or what naysayer you have in your ear but I do know a Man who’ll never leave you nor forsake you.

Dear sister, dear brother; let go. Surrender yourself to God and let Him do it. My brother, my sister; let it go with the assurance that God’s net of undying love will catch you. I know you’re scared, I know it may be taking you out of your comfort zone, I know it looks like it may hurt, I know you don’t want to lose folk but baby, sometimes you have to let go in order to see that God is able.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8

Daily Devotional – 2/29/16 “Another month is leaving …”

Another month of 2016 is winding down. How has this year been to you so far? Are you still making excuses? Still holding on to what could have happened but didn’t? Still fretting over what happened even though you had no control of it? Or have you stepped out on faith and into your destiny? Have you gotten out of the boat or is fear still holding you? Have you gotten in position to give birth or is the pain too much? Have you come out of the cave or are you scared of the enemy that’s camped outside? Have you discarded those grave clothes yet and lived? Yes or no? Why or why not? These are questions only you can answer. Stop blaming somebody or something; you’re the only one who has the key to your happiness. You can’t be upset because dude went back to his wife, he wasn’t yours. You can’t be mad because girl said she no longer wanted you, be glad you didn’t invest more time. You can’t keep getting mad at folk for not wanting to babysit your kids, they’re yours. You can’t keep harping on the fact nobody will pick you up, the bus runs almost every day. You can’t blame society, you’re grown; take responsibility. Chile, just stop with the excuses.

All you have to do is look around and you’ll look into the face of somebody sick who still gets up to go to work because if they don’t work, they don’t eat or have insurance. If you happen to turn around, you may just run into someone who’s grieving yet they didn’t allow the death to kill them. Pull up social media and look at the parents who are living with a sick child but still manage to be strong. Go to a local church and look into the eyes of a pastor who has the cares of the flock on his/her shoulders as well as those of their household and still manage to work at the church 3-4 days out of the week listening to your woes. Talk to somebody at the job, drive under the underpass and see the folk living there, go into the ICU of your local hospital or simply walk the streets of your city and see how bad things could really be. No, I’m not saying you don’t have the right to have a bad day but don’t stay in the midst of your excuses. Because then you’ll start living the excuse and in ten years, you’ll regret today. Today can be the first day of the best day of your life but you’ve got to initiate the process. And it begins by throwing out the excuse of ‘I can’t.’